The present invention relates to a newly developed interspecific hybrid Guzmania plant resulting from a planned breeding program that I conduct on an ongoing basis. The objects of the breeding program include the crossing of selected parent plants from the numerous, compatible species within the genus, to obtain plants with novel and attractive phenootypes, coloration, and flowering forms. Other important selection factors may include ultimate plant size and shape, disease resistance, tolerance to different soil and growing conditions and vigor.
Among the objects of my program are to produce plants of the Bromeliaceae family which will be attractive to the consumer, which will develop reasonably rapidly under controlled conditions; and which retain for a long term, highly attractive and bright inflorescences; i.e., bract coloration, after being induced into the flowering stage. It is a specific object to provide a low maintenance plant which will be a long term decorative appointment offering an exotic color splash in the home of a buyer, or to serve as a substitute for flowering plants which have a shorter flowering duration in, for example, indoor plant and flower scapes. Finally, it is an object to develop plants which may be easily and efficiently multiplied by state-of-the-art tissue culture methods while continuing the distinctive characteristics of the plants through progressive clonal generations.
The plant of this disclosure was a naturally occurring vegetative sport discovered as a single plant growing in a cultivated planting of the parent Guzmania `Irene`, an unpatented F.sub.1 hybrid of Guzmania lingulata `Panama Red`.times.Guzmania wittmackii `Lila`. With the recognition that this sport satisfied the objects of the breeding program, the individual was isolated and set aside for further observation and testing. The resulting selection has been assigned the designation `GUZ 224` for purposes of identification. This plant has been reproduced by division at Vista Calif., and the clonal specimens resulting therefrom have been determined to be identical to the original selection in all distinguishing characteristics. The superior attributes of this plant will be revealed in the botanical descriptions to follow.